Lower back tattoos are really popular, and with good reason. The lower back is a great place for a tattoo because there is a large, flat surface area, it is easy to hide if you need to and lower back tattoos just plain look great. Because it's a large area and you only have one lower back (hey, you have two arms so if you screw one up you've always got the other!) you want to be sure that you are picking the right design before you get your tattoo. Here are some lower back tattoo design ideas to get you started.

When you are looking at tattoos for your lower back you want to keep the shape of your back in mind and find something that is going to play up the shape of your body. A lot of people choose designs that dip down in the middle toward their rear which is a really sexy look. If you are thinking of doing something similar some tattoo designs that work really well for this are tribal designs, flowers, butterflies and dragonflies.

Most lower back tattoo designs either have curls or swirls that radiate out toward the sides of your back with a central theme in the middle that makes up the main body of the tattoo. The reason for this is that it helps the tattoo blend better with your body and look more like it belongs there rather than like it was just stuck there. For instance, if you go with flowers you may want to choose a design that has stems or branches sort of radiating out toward the sides of your back with a cluster of flowers in the middle.

One design that is perfect for a lower back tattoo but not too many people use is a bird with its wings extended. It is more unique than flowers, butterflies and tribal tattoos, but still looks beautiful on the lower back. Any type of bird would work well for this ranging from songbirds to eagles and everything in between.

Zodiac signs or the sun, moon or stars can all make great lower back tattoos. You can either use a stand-alone type design or have a tattoo artist add extra details to the edges to blend it with the shape of your back.

If you want something a little less girly you can go with a dragon. Dragons always look great tattooed and can be curved or fit perfectly to the shape of your body to really accent your shape.

No matter what design you choose for your lower back make sure that it is something that has special meaning to you. It doesn't matter what other people think of your tattoo or if no one else "gets it." What matters is that when you look at it you smile and that it is something that you will be proud to show off for years to come. Really put some thought into your tattoo before you commit to getting it so you are sure you are getting the right design and not something that you will regret a few months from now.